Please, remember!
by ani.tenshi
Summary: Now that they are both grown up and on the same team, Sasuke presents a mystery that Sakura cannot solve. However, she still hopes that one day he'll tell her that he remembers their first encounter and that it meant something to him, too. Non-massacre AU
1. 1st Chapter: How it began?

_This story is published for __**SasuSaku Month**__, an event especially dedicated to Sakura and Sasuke! The event was hosted at LiveJournal._

_**Theme:**_ Alternate Universe

_**Prompt: **_Hello/Goodbye

_**Summary: **_Now that they are both grown up and on the same team, Sasuke presents a mystery that Sakura cannot solve. However, she still hopes that one day he'll tell her that he remembers their first encounter and that it meant something to him, too. Non-massacre AU

_Special thanks goes to my beta reader, Specialk137!_

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto!

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><p><em><strong>Please, remember!<strong>_

_Chapter 1_

*.*.*.*.*.*

_**How it began?**_

Considering the most recent events that have happened to me, anyone would say that my whole life is a true love tale. But, honestly, it is nothing like that, because it certainly didn't start that way.

My story should never be classified as a love story. As far as I know love stories should be romantic, beautiful and captivating. However, that specific description in no way resembles my life. '_Desperate attempts to win someone's love_' is what I prefer to call it.

I don't think I'll ever know how to explain it, but it's true that strong feelings always pulled me toward _him_. From the very depths of my soul, I can feel that he means a lot to me. Whenever I look into those entrancing onyx eyes and my heart starts racing, I just know that I truly care for him.

His name is Uchiha Sasuke. He is incredibly handsome and has the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen. They are so inviting that I always feel like I am drowning when I cast even a single glance at him. Though, I can never read them. That's probably because of his particularly cold-hearted attitude and the cool façade he tends to put on.

The tone of his skin is ivory and his hair color is as dark as the night sky and has a deep blue shine in it. His looks are simply godlike, a fact that anyone would agree with. He even has a huge number of fan-girls that run after him like love-struck puppies, which tends to get irritating sometimes.

He never ceases to call me annoying and I always feel like the only treatment I get from him is his cold shoulder. Don't get me wrong... he can be nice sometimes, but mostly in his own mysterious ways. He is smart and strong, but incredibly ignorant to everything around him, unless it concerns training, missions or new ways of acquiring more strength. That is no surprise at all, considering the fact that his favorite word is 'power'.

I am currently in my room, getting ready to welcome my two team mates. They left two years ago in order to train themselves and get stronger and today is the day of their return. I am sure you've guessed that one of them is Sasuke, as for the other one... his name is Uzumaki Naruto and he is the number one most unpredictable shinobi in the whole village. They both treat each other as rivals, always competing, trying to prove who the stronger of the two is.

I really can't even describe how excited I am that I will finally be able to see them. I wonder what they'll look like and whether they've changed. I certainly have. My forehead is not as big as it used to be; I guess I've grown into it. My pink hair no longer reaches my waist. I cut it shorter, wanting to make a change that will define the real me more from now on.

But, I think it would be best if I started with _my story_ from the very beginning, so you'd be better able to understand everything.

...

I was just seven years old when I first met him.

It was such a beautiful morning in Konoha and I was lying on the bed in my room with a book in my hands. Ever since I was little I loved to read. There was not enough information for my insatiable brain, as I was always willing to learn something new. I was also a very cheerful child, who possessed tremendous energy.

"Sakura, honey, please take these cookies to Yamanaka's household!" I heard my mother's voice calling for me from the kitchen. My small feet were thumping on the floor in a fast pace, as I was already headed there with a smile on my face. I could never possibly refuse anything she asked of me, especially since she'd always reward me with her sweet affectionate smile.

"Sure, mom!" I smiled back at her and took the box filled with cookies. "I'll be back real soon." I waved with my hand at her and the very next second I was already out the door.

"Be careful!" I heard her distant holler and ran toward my destination, the Yamanaka's home. I was especially enthusiastic to go there, because they had a girl who was as old as I was. She seemed like a very nice person and she was very beautiful. I had never been introduced to her, but it was my strong wish to get to know her.

Just as I passed the next corner, I collided with someone pretty hard and there was nothing that I could possibly use as a means to steady myself. As soon as I realized that I was falling, I was already on the ground along with the box filled with cookies.

"Ow..." I called out in a small voice as I scraped the skin on my hand, since it took most of my weight from the fall. The next thing I did was look for the box and relief washed over me in an instant. Luckily, my mother had wrapped it well, so no damage was done. Well, except for the small pain I felt in my palm.

"Oh, I am really sorry." I heard someone speak and I realized that the voice belonged to someone that was close to my age.

"Don't worry about it," I whispered in return just before I looked up. As I set my eyes upon his face, it was as if everything around me had stopped moving. I couldn't look away, even though I kept trying to.

"I was in a hurry and—" The sweet voice of the young boy suddenly stopped ringing in my ears, as I realized that he was intently staring at something. I followed his gaze and I finally noticed my blood stained hand. In that second, when I saw the red liquid, the throbbing pain increased tremendously. I could feel it burning through my skin.

"Ow, it stings!" I raised my voice without being my intention. I really couldn't help it, the pain was starting to tingle in an unbearable way.

The next thing he did took me completely by surprise. He gently took my hand and brought it closer to his face. I started to feel heat rising to my cheeks. The gently released air that came from his lips in an attempt to soothe the pain made my heart beat erratically against my chest. I was so confused, as I did not know why all of that was happening to me and why I was feeling all those things. Most importantly, I could feel the pain slowly ebb away. It was incredible how he managed to accomplish all that with such a simple, but tender act.

"Does it still hurt?" he asked while he looked profoundly in my eyes, as if searching for an answer. He also took out a folded handkerchief and pressed it to the small wound on my hand. I was totally lost in the deep blackness of his onyx eyes. It took a while before I could actually find my voice. And then I felt embarrassed for staring at him like that. I couldn't help but wonder what he thought of me and whether my stupid reaction had ruined everything.

"N-no," I stuttered as I stared at him with an expression on my face that was unknown to me. Actually, it's a miracle I remember everything in such detail, since I felt really light-headed at that moment.

He smiled slightly and whispered softly, "I'm glad."

I smiled in return while still staring at him in complete astonishment, as he suddenly stood up. He offered me his hand in order to help me up and I awkwardly reached out to accept it. I could feel a strange energy dispersing throughout my skin, just where he had gripped my hand. Once he released my hand, he spoke again.

"I guess I'll see you... later." He struggled with the word, as it took him a couple of seconds to word it out. He looked at me for a little longer and made a move to leave.

"Wait," I called after him, with a weak voice that sounded more like a barely audible whisper. Hopefully, he didn't catch on my unwillingness to see him leave my side. Back then, even I didn't know why I wanted him to stay. When he turned slightly to look at me, I blushed a tiny bit and looked down at the ground in embarrassment. I was ashamed because I had called after him without having any real reason to. But, it was a second later that I noticed the folded handkerchief, the one he had given me for my wound. I was so thankful for the escape it represented, obviously from my own hasty mouth.

"You forgot your hankie," I whispered, my voice trailing off as I stretched my hand forward to give it to him.

"Keep it, it's yours," he said casually and smiled, before waving slightly indicating a sweet goodbye.

"Thank you!" I answered in return with a cheery smile spreading on my lips.

The memories of that moment never ceased to make my heart flutter. The small white cloth that belonged to him is the only object that I have to give me hope that maybe someday my dream will come true.

The only thing that saddens my heart is that he obviously doesn't remember anything. I am quite certain, since he has never ever spoken of it and he acts as if it never even happened. Out of sheer fear that he might think badly of me I have never tried to speak to him about it.

I was really surprised to see him for the second time that day, but I guess it is hard to escape fateful moments.

I was walking by the training grounds that were always empty whenever I had the chance to pass by them, which wasn't very often. However, that afternoon the grounds weren't empty, as I could hear voices in the distance. Out of curiosity I got closer and saw two figures. It didn't take me much to recognize the same boy I met earlier that day, so I gasped in surprise. But, he was not alone. There was a boy with him that looked thirteen years old.

I hid behind one of the thick trees that surrounded the training grounds, a safe distance away from them. Watching intently with much curiosity, I took note of the sign that they both had on the back of their dark colored shirts. Instantly, I recognized it as the Uchiha Clan symbol, since I already knew about the prestigious family. There was not a single person in Konoha that hadn't heard of them.

Suddenly, my attention was directed to the older boy. He was armed with some shuriken and the way he moved, after he jumped in the air, was astonishing. His moves were so fast and barely detectable. I didn't even see him throw the weapons, and yet only a moment later it became clear that they had all landed perfectly in the centre of the targets. He even managed to hit the one target that was positioned in a blind spot. It was simply unbelievable.

There was a moment when he, after swiftly landing on his two feet, turned to look for a short second at the place where I was hiding, but since he said nothing I continued watching them for a while longer.

"Brother, watch me!" Sasuke cried out excitedly all of a sudden. I smiled at his enthusiastic attitude. He looked very happy, training with his brother. Attempting to imitate his brother's amazing way of hitting the positioned targets, he managed to hit two out of five.

"Sasuke, be careful!" the older one shouted in warning, with slight concern latched onto his voice. It was then that I first found out that his name was Sasuke.

However, Sasuke did not land well on the ground and he almost hurt his ankle. He didn't even let out a scream and it sure looked like a painful fall.

His brother was instantly by his side. "You'll have to be more careful or you might hurt yourself," he spoke with strong affection.

Judging by the face Sasuke made, it was apparent that he possessed a strong pride, even at that age.

Lifting his head up to show that he was not a mere child that needed lecturing, he pouted cutely. That gesture made his brother chuckle.

I realized then that Sasuke acted in a very different way when he was with his brother. After seeing him like that, his whole appearance intrigued me even more than before. There was definitely something sweet about him that warmed my heart.

It took him some time to stop his pride-driven antics and start speaking, "You are so much better than me. Will I ever be able to be like you?" Having heard his question I realized that being strong was very important to him. Though, the reason was still unknown to me.

"You'll become as good as me in time, Sasuke," his brother spoke in return, as he stood up and went to take out the shuriken from the targets. He gave off a very positive aura around himself, which was strange, considering his quite scary appearance. He didn't look mean, his manner only showed how mature he was. He looked really confident and strong, in a very intimidating way.

Sasuke's face lit up immediately. I guessed that it meant a lot to him to be acknowledged by his older brother. "Will you show me that shuriken technique again, brother?" The look in his eyes was almost pleading, but pure excitement shined in them as well.

His brother gestured with his hand for Sasuke to come closer to him, and he eagerly ran. But, when he reached him, the older Uchiha poked him in the forehead.

"Forgive me, Sasuke... we'll do this again next time," he spoke kindly, while smiling vaguely as if silently asking for forgiveness. This really amazed me and I figured that it was some sort of an affectionate gesture that was shared only between the two of them.

I was also very surprised to find out that the cute boy was an aspiring shinobi.

That was the day I realized what my real goal in life was. I just wanted to be part of _his world_.

The first thing I did was go to the library in search for a book that would give me the basic knowledge about becoming a shinobi. I was really persistent and enthusiastic, my will never ceasing to grow.

I felt like there was nothing that could possibly change my resolve. The only problem was that there never had been a shinobi in my family, but I wished to become one just because of him.

With the knowledge I gathered from all the books I had read by then and the others I had stumbled upon as time passed, I trained by myself in order to be able to enter the Konoha Shinobi Academy. It was a slow and agonizing process because of the many injuries I acquired. Luckily, they were never that bad to actually make my parents too worried, but I did tell them about my wish to become a kunoichi. They were hesitant at first, but thanks to my strong determination they finally agreed to let me pursue my dream.

After one year had passed, it was time for me to enroll in the Academy, which made me extremely happy because the day I had waited so long for, had finally arrived.

However, my excitement died down very soon, because I was being laughed at by the rest of the girls in my class. They said my forehead was too big, shouted mean words at me that were really hurtful. I was unable to find the strength to stand up for myself. I used my bangs in order to hide my forehead, which was a kind of an act of self-defense. That only triggered them to tease me even more, saying that I was sensitive about it. Now, I know that it was all because of my low self-confidence.

One day, Yamanaka Ino, the girl I told you about, was the only one that confronted them and stood up for me. I was stunned by her confidence and her strong personality. What surprised me even more was that it was her who, out of all people, defended me. She was the most popular girl in the class, she was beautiful and talented.

She helped me overcome my insecurity by giving me a red ribbon and told me that I should wear it in order to draw attention to the cuter features on my face. She assured me that I shouldn't hide my forehead or feel ashamed by it.

"There's no meaning to a flower unless it blooms." I will always remember the words Ino said to me. They gave me strength and since then I have been able to find the confidence I used to lack. We became best friends in an instant.

In time, I wanted to prove myself as Ino's equal and stop living in her shadow. So, I started showing my true abilities fearlessly, which surprised everybody in our class, especially the girls who teased me. There was this one time when I especially stood out from the rest of the class, causing Iruka-sensei to praise me in front of everybody. I remember that moment, because it was the first time I noticed Sasuke looking at me. It surprised me greatly and I found myself wholly enveloped by a very pleasant feeling.

Later, when I found out that Ino also had a crush on Sasuke, I decided that our friendship should end as soon as possible. It was mostly because of my conviction that we both might end up with a lasting wound, if one of us was eventually going to win his love. I believed that it was unimaginable for two best friends to fight for the love of one man.

That was the beginning of the bitter rivalry between the two of us.

By the time I had turned ten something unexpected happened that influenced my life greatly.

While I was vacationing with my parents in another village, the most surprising information reached my ears. While my parents were buying something at a shop that sold beautiful paintings, I was waiting patiently for them just outside, on the street.

"I can't believe that I lost to a woman!" a man that was standing near the entrance of the shop spoke angrily with a raised voice.

I couldn't simply ignore such an obnoxious man that was too rude to care for the way he acted in public. Upon turning my head in the direction of his voice, I noticed that there was another man standing there with him.

"Don't worry about that! The bad thing is that you lost to a loser," he said.

The man that was being mocked by his friend seemed surprised.

"I can't believe that you don't know, but Senju Tsunade is famous for losing every bet she makes," the other man added in a very calm manner, while still eyeing the now devastated man.

However, I shut them out completely after I heard the name of the woman they spoke of. It struck me really hard, because I already knew how important she was in the world of the shinobi. She was known as one of the legendary Sannin and it seemed to me that it was fate that brought her name to my attention at that precise moment.

When we went back to our hotel room, I was already fidgeting nervously, anxiously awaiting my chance to sneak out. I knew my parents would never let me go outside in search for some woman, all by myself. So, after they had fallen asleep, I managed to run out of the hotel room, determined to find Senju Tsunade.

It took me a while to find her and I was glad I remembered her appearance from a picture I had seen in one of the books I had read. I found her seating in a booth in a nice-looking eating place, most probably spending the money she had won. She looked a bit tipsy, judging by her reddened cheeks, the way she stumbled around and slurred her words.

There was also another woman in the booth with her. She looked younger than her and had a worried expression. I realized that the woman must have been the Sannin's travelling companion. There was also a cute looking piglet with them dressed as a small girl. It even had a pearl necklace around its neck, which was quite funny, but adorable.

The moment I laid eyes on Tsunade, I just knew I wanted to become like her. Besides being very beautiful, she also looked really strong. She didn't have the body of a fighter. Quite the opposite, she was a woman of delicate features. It was her honey-colored eyes that showed the strength she possessed.

I hesitantly approached their booth and stood right in front of her. However, the other woman noticed me first, while Tsunade was not really interested in what was happening around her. The young woman seemed very polite and good-hearted. She nodded her head, urging me to speak, and I decided to follow her silent encouragement.

"Miss Senju..." I called, and right after she lifted her eyes to look at me, I asked, "May I ask you something?"

"What do you want?" she barked harshly, before taking a swift swig of the sake she had in front of her.

"I want you to train me! Please, let me be your apprentice," I shot out, with the help of my new-found courage.

The younger woman looked at me understandingly, while Tsunade spoke with an emotionless tone, "You ask for the impossible."

I wasn't planning to give up just yet. I really wanted her to accept my proposal.

"Please, I'll do everything you'll ask me to. I will never complain," I pleaded like never before in my life.

Tsunade stared at me for a considerable amount of time. She seemed quite surprised for some reason. But, then she smiled slightly, as if amused, and started to speak.

"Is there any particular reason behind your pleading?" It was obvious that she quickly caught onto my true intentions, that there was actually something more behind my pleadings. As she studied me she asked another question, "And, why should I even consider training you?"

I steeled my resolve, before answering passionately, "I wish to become as strong as you more than anything. I am determined to achieve that, whether you're willing to help me or not. But, I know that if I you do help me, my abilities will be increased on every possible level."

I saw a flash of surprise in her eyes, but then it changed into a stern stare.

"Maybe we should give her a shot," the other woman suggested with a sweet voice, after which Tsunade took her time to think it over.

"Fine, I'll give you a test and if you pass it..." she paused, staring at me with a significant look in her strict eyes, and continued, "...I will train you." After saying that she smiled light-heartedly, and I could only feel joy within my chest.

"Thank you," I said, a wide smile spreading on my face.

"Thank Shizune here, she was the one that backed you up," she spoke in return, as if not caring much.

The woman named Shizune smiled at me. In time I grew fond of her, because she had a great personality and was kind-hearted.

I have to admit that Tsunade's so called _test_ was quite a difficult task, that consisted of me learning a medical jutsu — apparently a basic one. I was supposed to master it in just a week, which was the time limit she had given me. She was constantly yelling at me that it wasn't such a big deal and that I should be able to master it with no effort at all, which did encourage me. I was able to accomplish the given task, but I wasn't too confident about my ability — it was a medical jutsu after all, something completely new to me at that point.

"You sure are a real talent," she said to me after I passed the test and I could notice the sincerity she spoke with. I felt like I earned every bit of trust she had in me.

"Thank you so much, Tsunade-shishou," I bowed to her, showing my respect, a huge smile spreading on my lips. I was happy enough that she had accepted to train me that I even took it upon myself to call her shishou without her previous consent. I guessed that she didn't mind, since she had said nothing.

What proved to be more difficult was convincing my parents into letting me train with Tsunade. They were reluctant to let me go, since the training was supposed to happen away from Konoha. But, they couldn't just ignore my resolve about the whole thing, so finally they relented.

But, before I was ready to leave the village and officially start with my training, there was one other thing that worried me.

"What about my classes at the Academy? Will I lose my chance to graduate at twelve?" I asked, dread crashing over me.

"Don't worry about that. I will deal with everything when the time comes," she assured me.

I smiled in return before she addressed me once again.

"Okay, Sakura, prepare for quite a tough journey," she was referring to the severity of her ways of training, something I learned to fear later on.

"I am prepared, Tsunade-shishou!" I answered her, without realizing everything she meant by her warning. However, in time, I did prepare myself physically and mentally for her harsh training sessions, after having experienced them myself.

After two whole years of rough training, I became even stronger and more mature than I ever thought possible. Even I could tell that I had changed. Traveling with Tsunade and Shizune had been very positive for my mental growth.

The time I spent away from home might not seem very long, but to me it seemed far longer than it actually was. When I first saw Konoha after coming back, I was overwhelmed.

"I can't believe I am finally back," I exhaled a huge gulp of air and I found it hard to believe I was finally home.

"So, how do you feel?" I remember that question was the first thing Tsunade asked me after we were back in Konoha. It wasn't something that I couldn't answer, but no words could possibly describe my immense joy.

As I entered the Village's gates, I felt that I was taking a significant step toward fulfilling my dream. I wanted to be worthy of his acceptance and I finally felt like I had accomplished a major part of it. The only thing that made me slightly nervous was the fact that Tsunade-shishou was supposed to talk with the Hokage. It was still uncertain whether I would be accepted back at the Konoha Academy and allowed to graduate with the other students my age.

When we entered the Hokage tower I was already feeling very nervous. As we entered the grand office, my anxiety increased tremendously.

It was then that I found out that Tsunade-shishou used to be his student. She was trying to keep her promise to me, so she spoke of my achievements and all my strengths. I felt a little uneasy, hearing her speak of me so well.

"You can trust me when I say that she is very talented," she told the old man, smiling poudly.

The Hokage chuckled while looking at me. "You showed quite a disposition even as a child."

His words surprised me very much. I was stunned as I realized that he had paid attention to my progress during my time at the Academy.

"Therefore, I would gladly allow you to take the exam."

After I heard that, I felt relief wash over me and the tension that had consumed me was gone. A couple of minutes later we left the office and Tsunade looked at me with a tender look in her eyes.

"Sakura, good luck and remember what I taught you." Her voice was strict. Sometimes she behaved as a mother figure toward me and, for that, I respected her immeasurably.

"Thank you, Tsunade-shishou! I will," I cheerfully answered her with a huge smile on my face and I immediately ran home.

I desperately wanted to see my parents and tell them about what I had accomplished over the past two years. They were extremely surprised to see me and my mother didn't let me out of her arms for the rest of the day. I didn't mind at all, because I had missed them as much as they had missed me.

The next morning I was preparing to go to the Academy. It was the day that was going to decide my future path — whether I would be given the chance to become a kunoichi.

However, my excitement disappeared the very second I entered the classroom. The looks I received form most of my classmates were giving me chills and filled my stomach with dread. I felt like an outcast, as if I didn't belong among them.

"This is Haruno Sakura, I'm sure you remember her well," Iruka-sensei addressed the entire class. "She will be taking the exam with the rest of you." After he said those words I felt like the whole room had shrunk around me.

I could have sworn that I even heard them whisper the same hurtful words. Unconsciously I brought my hand to my forehead, which was a definite sign of my weakness. I realized that that would get me nowhere, so I pulled myself together and decided to face everybody without showing any more of my weaknesses.

There were only a few people that didn't welcome me with that hateful look in their eyes. I was glad that Sasuke was one of those few and it made me remember the real purpose of my efforts.

The graduation exam was fairly easy for me. The way I accomplished the given task bothered some of my classmates, but I decided not to let that disturb me, especially after I recalled the words Tsunade-shishou had said to me.

"There might be some that will envy you the strength you possess, but don't forget who you are and what you believe in, especially your reasons for doing this." Back then I couldn't believe that anyone would envy me anything, because I hadn't yet developed my self-confidence. Though, she must have known that I would remember her words and understand them at the right moment.

Afterward, when I was given the forehead protector, I could barely suppress my cheerfulness.

The very next day we were supposed to be divided in teams consisting of three Genin and one Jounin in charge. I have to admit that I was secretly hoping that I would be on the same team as Sasuke.

That was the day when Ino approached me in order to welcome me back the only way she knew how. I believe that we both knew that her real intention was to say hello, but the words she said to me were a clear warning that she still considered us rivals.

"Don't forget that I won't let you win that easily, Forehead-girl!" she spoke in a fierce way and I noticed the pure resolve in her eyes. The nickname she used didn't bother me, I realized, so I smiled slightly, accepting her challenge.

When I entered the classroom, I took the empty seat beside Sasuke. He said nothing, as he just stared in front of himself. I also paid no attention to the girls' voices that were most probably cursing me to no end.

Later, while Iruka-sensei was announcing the teams, I couldn't stop my nervous fidgeting.

My breathing stopped as my name was announced at last. I was being assigned to Team 7, with the Jounin Hatake Kakashi as the sensei in charge. I was sure that I had heard of him before, but I knew nothing significant about his abilities or his reputation. At that moment, I was mostly concerned about who my teammates would be.

One of them was going to be Uzumaki Naruto, who I knew was a very cheerful boy that had an undying spirit and nothing could possibly bring him down. He was always loud and obnoxious, always goofing around the village. I remember that he used to paint the faces on the Hokage Mountain and always managed to escape.

Besides the fact that I had nothing against Naruto being a member of my team, he was not the person that got my attention. The one I was thinking of was the raven-haired boy that never failed to take my breath away.

The second I heard his name, my heart stopped beating and I could barely make myself breathe. My wish had actually come true. Uchiha Sasuke was on the same team as me.

When I looked at him, I noticed that he was just staring straight ahead, as if his thoughts were drifting somewhere. He looked distant, and that hurt me — while I was so eager about being on the same team as him, he was acting like he didn't care at all. I pushed the unpleasant feeling away, focusing on the fact that I was going to spend every day with him.

After that the three of us were waiting for our new sensei for a whole hour, which made Naruto especially restless.

"Why is our sensei so freaking late?" he shouted, while Sasuke and I were waiting patiently.

"Naruto, please, just take a seat," I grumbled, already aggravated to no end by his constant pacing around the classroom. I could barely put up with him at that moment, but he crossed all boundaries the second his impatience brought a very wicked idea to his mind.

Naruto, after dragging a chair toward the classroom entrance, placed the chalk eraser above it. He positioned it so it would fall on the head of the first person to open the door. I thought that it was a really bad idea to greet our new sensei in that way.

"I am so not involved in this," I muttered almost inaudibly, while rubbing the bridge of my nose, annoyed to no end. However, my inner self did not agree.

"_I love these kinds of things!_" I heard her shout inside my mind, acting like her usual ecstatic self.

I forgot to mention that I have an inner self, who is my complete opposite. We have separate personalities, but we are connected in so many ways. There are moments when she pisses me off, and moments when I am very fond of her.

"As if a Jounin would fall for such a low trick," Sasuke spoke casually.

Suddenly, the sliding of the door asked for our attention. Naruto's prank was regrettably straight on its target, making a mess out of our sensei's hair. It was not a pleasant sight and I didn't even want to imagine how Kakashi felt.

Naruto laughed out loud at the scene, while pointing a finger at our sensei, who now had a lot of chalk powder in his silver hair. "You fell for it!" he shouted, as if laughing was not rude enough. I felt so embarrassed at that moment.

Kakashi was also displeased with Naruto's prank.

"How should I say this...?" he mused out loud, before staring us down with a strict look in his eyes. "My first impression is that I don't like you, at all."

Our mood, even Naruto's, plummeted in an instant and luckily Kakashi didn't seem like the type to hold a grudge, so he led us out and urged us to introduce ourselves. I liked his approach, because I thought that that was a very nice way for us to start off as a team.

"Why don't you introduce yourself to us first?" Naruto almost shouted, not being able to come up with anything better to say.

"Oh... me? My name is Hatake Kakashi, and I have no desire to tell you my likes and dislikes. Dreams for the future... hmm," he sighed thoughtfully, before continuing, "…and I have lots of hobbies."

"Totally useless! All he told us was his name," I muttered silently. It seemed to me that he was playing with us.

"Now, it's your turn!" Kakashi urged us to speak, and Naruto was too excited to keep his mouth shut.

"I'll start! My name is Uzumaki Naruto and I love ramen, though I hate the three minutes I have to wait for the ramen to cook... and my dream is to surpass the Hokage and then have the people in this Village acknowledge my existence." That last statement was a huge shocker then, I thought he was the biggest fool I had ever met — but nowadays, I understand him completely.

Then, it was Sasuke's turn, and I was very curious to hear about his likes and dislikes.

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke. There are lots of things I dislike, and I don't particularly like anything. And, I wouldn't call it a dream, but I have an ambition, which is to surpass a certain man in every single ability he possesses," he spoke in a rather strange way.

I got the impression that he changed a lot during the time I had been training and that he had become much colder and more distant, which in fact bothered me immensely.

"Now, the girl," Kakashi's voice snapped me out of my thoughts, thankfully, or I would have embarrassed myself.

"My name is Haruno Sakura. I like many things, but I hate spicy food. My dream is to one day become as strong as Tsunade-shishou and be acknowledged by a certain person that I care a lot about," and with that I finished my introduction.

Afterward, Kakashi started explaining the special test we were supposed to go through the following morning. He surprised us by saying that the test would decide if we would end up going back to the Academy.

"Oh... and skip breakfast, 'cause you might throw up!" he said before disappearing into a puff of smoke.

The next morning, we were at the training ground, again waiting for Kakashi to arrive. When he did, an hour later, he explained us the reason he had called us there in the first place. He said that we had to fight him and try to get one of the two bells he held in his possession, and we realized that one of us would be left out and would have to go back to the Academy. He also said that we were not allowed to eat until noon, which was the time limit we were given to accomplish the task. The other bad thing was that he had brought just two bento boxes, indicating that one of us would be left without a meal as well.

After that he told us the details of his punishment and showed us the three posts positioned right behind us. He said that one of us was going to be tied up to one of the posts, while the other two ate their meal in front of him. The whole idea revolted me completely. I couldn't understand how Kakashi had come up with those cruel ideas.

"You are allowed to use shurikens and kunais, but you won't succeed unless you come at me with the intent to kill," he explained, as we stared at him in disbelief.

After hearing that, Naruto didn't wait a single second to start acting like his usual self. "You're so slow you couldn't even dodge the chalk eraser, so we'll definitely kill you!" he laughed.

"In reality, those with no talent are always the loudest. You should know that, dead last!" Kakashi stated, while eyeing Naruto with a lazy expression. "We'll start when I say so," he added with an even calmer voice.

Angered, Naruto tried to attack him with a kunai tightly gripped in his hand. As he started to run toward him, Kakashi got behind him in a flash.

"Calm down... I haven't told you to start yet!" he exclaimed while holding Naruto down in a tight grip.

"Seems like you are actually willing to attack me with the intention to kill," he said, sounding amused. "I'm beginning to like you guys!"

We all smiled in return and took our battle stances to show that we were ready.

"Okay, start!" he shouted and stayed in the middle of the training ground, totally exposed.

The thing that shocked us most was that he took out a book — he actually planned on reading and fighting us at the same time. He was definitely underestimating us, or maybe he was just trying to fuel our anger in order to get us to attack him with everything we had. After all, Naruto was way too hyperactive to be ignored, I was trained to fight against stronger opponents and Sasuke was an Uchiha prodigy.

Naruto was obviously the first one to attack, without even trying to conceal his presence, while me and Sasuke took the time to hide.

Even though he was too dense to attack without any plan, Naruto was really good at creating an attack with his Shadow Clone Jutsu. He used his clones in a strangely intelligent way and managed to make Kakashi put his book back in his pocket.

After assessing the situation from my hiding spot, I was waiting for an opening in order to begin the attack I had planned.

Finally, when Kakashi looked distracted enough, I made the appropriate hand signs and created four clones. I ordered them to disperse in different locations and surround the training ground. My plan was to corner him and create an opening for myself, by attacking from different places and leaving one blind spot that he wouldn't be able to guard himself from. As he stood there, my clones started to attack with kunai knives repeatedly. Just as I had planned, the huge number of kunai coming his way had made his hands occupied with defense and useless for anything else.

I knew that it was time for me to attack from behind, while he wasn't able to make any hand signs. When I reached the desired location, I channeled my chakra to my clenched fist and aimed it to the ground beneath my feet. The shattering noise was ear-splitting as the ground was crumpled into many pieces. Kakashi was unable to dodge the attack and he was instantly trapped just the way I had wanted him to be, in the big hole I had just created. At least, that is what I had thought. Just when I was able to reach his position to try to take one of the bells, he disappeared in a cloud of smoke. I should have known that a Jounin would find a way to make a couple of hand signs.

Even Sasuke didn't manage to accomplish the task by using his taijutsu. He was really good and managed to absolutely surprise Kakashi with his Great Fireball Jutsu, but albeit only got him close enough to be able to touch one of the bells, but not actually take it.

It was plainly obvious that Kakashi's plan was to prevent us from taking the bells the easy way.

There was a moment when Naruto tried to steal one of the bento boxes. I guess he was just really desperate and very hungry. Still, he was way too gullible to think that he could actually manage that while Kakashi was still around.

Before any of us got the chance to attack again, the clock announced that our time was up. Kakashi didn't waste any time and immediately told us that we were to go back to the Academy and start from the beginning, not as Genin. When we protested against it, he just started to lecture us about how we had failed his test. He said that we weren't thinking as a team, but fought individually and selfishly. Next, he told us that he would give us another chance right after we ate the lunch he had prepared. Of course, we should have known that there would be a catch.

Naruto ended up being punished for trying to eat without permission, so he was tied down to one of the posts at the training ground. Me and Sasuke were supposed to eat in front of him. Naruto was bravely trying to tell us that he could handle a day without food and that it wasn't such a big deal, but Sasuke decided to share his lunch with him. After realizing what that meant, I offered to share mine with Naruto as well.

As I was trying to feed Naruto, Kakashi suddenly showed up, with a scary aura surrounding him. Thinking that he had caught us red handed, we thought that we were doomed. All of a sudden, he uttered the two words we had been waiting to hear all morning.

"You pass!" His uncovered eye was crinkled in a way that showed that he was smiling beneath his mask. He was being unfair to us by scaring us like that, but we were still very relieved to know that we were officially Genin and part of a team.

After we left the training ground, the three of us had decided to walk home together. It was then that I finally noticed Sasuke staring at me intently. The way he looked at me made me feel very uncomfortable. I couldn't decipher his true thoughts, but I could feel his gaze almost piercing holes into my back. I felt offended in a way, and even hurt.

All the negative thoughts that had been consuming my mind during the next couple of days were immediately forgotten after we had received the first official mission as a team. I was really excited, but definitely less energized than Naruto — I don't think anyone could ever be more thrilled than him, about anything. And it was because of him that we were given a C-ranked mission. We were Genin and our first mission shouldn't have been more than a D-ranked one, but Naruto and his stubborn pleading had got us quite a task.

Our job was to deliver a very important scroll that contained crucial information about the whereabouts of a rogue ninja. Apparently he was very strong, possessed unique powers, had once been an Iwagakure shinobi and on top of that also had a very high bounty placed on his head. Our Hokage got that information from an ANBU team that encountered the missing-nin and had had no other option but to fight him. So, it was now up to us to take it to the Tsuchikage, who was most concerned with finding the Shinobi that had betrayed their country.

Our mission would have been ranked even higher, had it not been for the complete secrecy. The Hokage was convinced that anyone who would be seeking that information would probably never suspect that mere Genin would be carrying the scroll. However, he did mention that there were small chances that we would intercept some other ninja and engage in a fight.

On the whole, the mission went well, but we did have to deal with a couple of obstacles. Kakashi wasn't surprised and he had expected the attacks, just as the Hokage had warned us.

The first attack happened just as we were passing the border of the Fire Country and entered the territory of Kusagakure. The ones behind the attack weren't wearing any Forehead Protectors, so it was hard to guess their true intentions — whether they were after the information in the scroll we were carrying or had a completely different reason.

There were five of them, all dressed in torn clothes. Kakashi reacted very quickly and immediately gave us orders. While he fought with two at once, the three of us were left to handle the rest.

My opponent was huge in size and looked especially scary, but I didn't want to think about that as I was already planning my attack.

"Hey, girlie, this is no place for a weakling like you!" the man chuckled mockingly, while eying me in a very nasty way. I felt utterly repulsed by his appearance and his behavior.

"Underestimating your opponent was your first mistake!" I bit back fiercely, as I tightened my leather gloves, already preparing to break his bones.

The moment I managed to land a hit on his jaw, he surprised me by kicking me in the side — it appeared that he was one to endure pain and hold his ground when needed. The hit I received was not as painful as it could have been, but I was still thrown away. I was waiting to collide with the ground, when someone caught me unexpectedly. We both slid on the hard ground, making me realize that without my savior the fall would have been far worse. When I finally saw that it was Sasuke who was holding me in his arms, my whole body froze.

"Are you okay?" he asked me, while checking if I had any injuries on me. I was surprised that he was showing concern for my wellbeing, so I stared at him for some time, before I was able to form a coherent answer.

"I'm fine," I said simply, before biting out the following words, "but I seriously need to kick that guy's ass." I got up on my feet, feeling angry. He might have been bigger in size, but that didn't mean that he was stronger than me. Losing was not an option when in battle, a lesson I had learned from Tsunade-shishou.

The awful man obviously needed some time to regain his balance. I smiled slightly in triumph because he was obviously feeling the consequences of my bone shattering hit.

I ran toward him, before making a swift stop a small distance away from him. He started forming some hand signs, but I gave him no time to start his attack.

I punched the ground by using my Cherry Blossom Impact. Many rocks suddenly flew up in the air. After spotting the man flying off in the air as well, just as I had wanted, I landed on a flying rock with a swift jump in order to reach him. I then punched the small rock that was right in front of him, enhancing the chakra in my fist so I could land a severe blow. I managed to hit him in the middle of his chest and the force that came from my fist sent him crashing into the small rock pillars that lay shattered on the ground. He was without a doubt knocked out. I landed safely, with a smile on my face.

In the meantime, Sasuke and Naruto were fighting their own battles. It appeared that Sasuke wasn't having any problems with his fight; he seemed to be handling it well.

Naruto, though, surprised me. My first impression of him had apparently been wrong; I thought he was all words and no action. While he fought, he showed incredible strength. His unfaltering determination was clearly the source of it, but I really have no idea where he found all that energy from. It was true that large amounts of his power came from the Kyubi, but I believe that his undying spirit is the root of his get-up-and-go actions.

However, not even Naruto's energy was enough to defeat the leader of the group. Clearly, he was the strongest among them.

When he noticed that Sasuke and I came to help Naruto, the cruel man used a jutsu that none of us knew of. The air around us started to thicken and I felt like I couldn't breathe. After hearing the choking sounds that came from both my teammates I realized that we had been trapped.

It seemed that we had no way out. But then I remembered a medical jutsu that Tsunade had created to keep a person from choking, regardless of the cause. After I had freed myself, I performed it on Naruto and Sasuke as well.

We heard the man laugh evilly, trying to scare us, but then Sasuke said that he had formed a plan that involved the three of us attacking at once. It was an interesting plan and we fought like never before. After finishing him off by working together as a team, I immediately thought that Kakashi's lesson did pay out in the end.

While on that mission, I realized that Sasuke and Naruto were actually pretty good at fighting side by side. They didn't need to talk to communicate, they just understood each other. I found that very odd, since they were both usually just hateful.

Kakashi had finished fighting with the other two and was already interrogating the one he had left conscious for that purpose only. The man was undoubtedly a coward, since he was willing to share every secret. And because of that, we were able to retrieve some more information on the missing-nin.

When the mission was accomplished and the scroll delivered to the Village Hidden in the Rocks, we took our time to rest a bit before going back home. The journey hadn't been long, but I was absolutely exhausted and in need of a hot bath.

At the entrance to Konoha we crossed paths with Itachi and his team. It was widely known that Sasuke's brother was an ANBU captain. His team consisted of two girls and one boy. By the looks of it they were all prepared for a mission. When he saw us approaching, Itachi with a simple hand motion ordered his team to stop for a second. He approached us, greeted Sasuke, who just regarded him with aloofness.

Surprisingly, he then focused his eyes on me.

"So, you are _the_ Sakura?" he spoke as if he had heard of me before. I was seriously taken aback, but then I realized that Sasuke must have told him about me, which was really strange.

Sasuke was glaring fiercely at his brother, which left me even more confused. I racked my brain trying to understand what was happening, but I found myself at a dead-end.

"Yes," I said quietly, trying to hide my bewilderment.

After I gave the older Uchiha my detached answer, I stepped to the side and left them alone. I was still searching for an explanation, but I found none and I just dismissed the whole thing, figuring it was useless to try to find an answer to something so strange. I sometimes believe that Sasuke and his mind will always remain a mystery to me.

After a couple of days, all three of us were at the bridge, waiting for Kakashi-sensei. I was especially giddy that morning, because I had been thinking of asking Sasuke to train with me for a while. My mind, driven by my considerable excitement, had gone through so many possible scenarios and I really didn't know what to expect.

Kakashi-sensei was late, as was usual, and he had only called us there to give us the news about the upcoming Chūnin Exam. He told us that we had until the day after to decide whether we wanted to participate or not. He also gave us the applications.

After he left, and after Naruto had said his goodbye as well, I ran after Sasuke. I called his name and he waited for me to catch up.

I did not pay attention to his almost angry expression, so I simply asked, "Would you like to train with me this afternoon?" I couldn't help but smile as I waited for his answer.

"I have better things to do than train with _you_," the immense irritation was definitely present in his tone and the way he had said the last word it sounded like he truly hated me.

"What?" I asked in complete disbelief. "Why are you saying that, Sasuke-kun?" My voice was weak. I suddenly felt my chest tighten.

"Because you're annoying!" he said, while glaring at me and left.

His words tore my heart to pieces. I could no longer feel its ecstatic beating; instead I was left with the almost dreadful tug that seemed to be sucking the life out of me. There was some sort of numbness in my chest, and it was killing my soul. The exciting idea had suddenly turned into a very big mistake.

The following day, as I arrived at our meeting spot, his presence made me feel even worse. The words he had said to me were still ringing in my ears. I felt useless, and it was hard for me to concentrate on the exam.

He seemed to notice that something was wrong, which I realized only after I had seen him staring at me with curious eyes. He was silently asking questions, and it bothered me immensely. I didn't want to look at him, so I decided to ignore him completely. I was afraid of making things worse. I was not acting like my usual self, but I did not care at that moment.

When Kakashi came he looked serious and asked if we were ready to take the exam. The three of us gave him our application forms, along with the agreement he needed to hear from us in order to let us participate.

Luckily, the first part of the exam went well. I have to admit that Naruto either is the luckiest guy in the world or he just does things his own way and in the end everything works out for him. He actually managed to pass without answering a single question on the exam paper.

The second part of the exam was meant to test our endurance, strength and team work. The Forest of Death was the assigned place for us to battle over scrolls with many other teams. Spending three whole days at that place was a very difficult task. We had encountered a few though opponents and had to manage with the little food we could find. I was thankful that none of the Konoha shinobi had to battle against each other. To everyone's surprise we were not the only beginners to finish the given task. Ino's team, consisted of her, Shikamaru and Chouji, also passed the second task, as well as Kiba, Hinata and Shino. I was not surprised that Lee's team passed as well, because the three of them did look exceptionally strong.

At the Chūnin Exam I met Lee for the first time and I can still remember his love confession. Now I find it really sweet, but back then I was repulsed by his advances. He is still very persistent, even after I have rejected his date proposals so many times that I have lost count.

While we were still in the Forest of Death Sasuke's behavior left me confused. This happened after we had fought against a team of very strong shinobi.

I had made a complete mess of the terrain where the battle had taken place using my great strength. I had fought with everything I had and I hadn't even considered losing the fight. I figured that my newfound determination must have surprised Sasuke and maybe that was the reason why he was staring at me the whole time. I desperately tried to read the look in his eyes, but I understood nothing.

For the third part of the exam we were supposed to battle in an individual fight and my opponent was Ino. I had the upper hand the whole time, thanks to Tsunade's severe training.

Ino was very fair and admitted her defeat, and I will always remember the words of praise she said to me after our match was finished.

"You have bloomed into a beautiful flower!" she had said.

Right after I had won the fight with Ino, Sasuke came up to me.

"Sakura..." I heard him call my name, so I turned to look at him. He was smirking as he continued with what he had to say. "You were really amazing."

That was the first time he had said anything to acknowledge my strength. His words really made me happy. His acknowledgement meant the world to me, and I felt I was on seventh heaven that day.

In the end, it was only Shikamaru who got promoted into a Chūnin. I wasn't disappointed, because I knew that I could always try another year. But, I noticed that Sasuke became much more obsessed with getting stronger. My best guess was that he had not taken it very well.

That is why, after a whole year passed, Sasuke and Naruto had decided to train away from Konoha. Naruto was planning to go with Jiraiya, while Sasuke meant to train with his older brother Itachi.

The news had come as a great surprise for me. I had known this was something very important to them, so I didn't even feel like I had the right to say anything against their decisions. I also had gone through the very same thing.

The day they were to leave the village I went to say goodbye to Naruto and it went even better than I had expected. Though, I was honestly having second thoughts about going to see Sasuke. But, somehow I found the courage and went to the Uchiha Compound, where I found him sitting in front of the entrance, alone.

"What are you doing here, Sakura?" he simply asked, with his brows scrunched up in confusion.

"I just wanted to say goodbye," I whispered hesitantly. Suddenly, saying goodbye to him didn't seem like a very good idea.

"What for? It's not like I won't come back," he spoke nonchalantly, as if his leaving wasn't such a big deal. Still, it was a huge change for me after spending so much time with them. I was aware that it was something that I would have to accept even though I knew that I would miss them both, and especially him.

"Sakura, the time will pass quickly," he spoke with some tenderness latched to his voice, "we will return, so don't worry." He stood right in front of me and all I could do was stare in the depths of his dark eyes. "Please, for me," he added, while taking my hand in his.

My heart started beating erratically, while everything that happened around me seemed to slow down.

"Okay, Sasuke-kun, I won't," I answered with a weak smile, for that was the only thing I could manage. His lips lifted up in a small smile as he squeezed my hand. A second later I felt his fingers sliding away from mine and he was already turning away from me.

"I guess, I'll see you... later," he spoke the exact same words he had spoken when I first met him.

I was stunned as I stared at his back. I was so perplexed that it took me some time to realize what exactly was happening. That was the very first time I felt hopeful, depite having small amouts of doubt.

There was actually a chance that he might remember our first encounter.

...

Well, that's all I have to tell you about the past. As for the future, I don't know what will happen next. All I know is that my feelings haven't changed; unless them growing stronger does count as a change.

I was finally getting closer to the famous Konoha entrance, and I was starting to feel even more restless. After noticing the four figures approaching, I concealed my chakra and hid on top of a tree branch. I wanted to surprise them, so I decided to be a little playful.

"Urgh... I thought that Sakura-chan would be here to welcome us back!" Naruto was already whining, which didn't surprise me at all, and I was sincerely tempted to giggle at his usual antics. But, I tried hard not to ruin my plan.

I let my chakra flare for a short second in order to see if anyone would notice my presence.

"Idiot, she's already here." I heard Sasuke's deep voice and was already thrilled. Of course he'd be on alert even in Konoha.

I landed gracefully in front of the boys I was so anxiously waiting to see after two whole years.

"I can see that you've trained... Sasuke-kun," I spoke casually, while flashing a small smile in greeting.

Naruto's face lit up as a bright smile stretched across his face, while Sasuke's eyes widened slightly for some reason. His reaction did leave me stunned.

TO BE CONTINUED...

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><p><strong>AN:** Thank you so much for reading the first chapter! :) Please, tell me what you think. :P I would like to hear your thoughts.

The following chapters will most probably be shorter than this one. I wanted to wrap up the whole introduction in one piece and not bother you by making you wait for something that doesn't concern the real plot of this story.


	2. 2nd Chapter: Changes

**A/N:** Thank you for the lovely reviews! :) Your words mean so much to me.

_This chapter was beta read by Specialk137! She has magical fingers when it comes to correcting my mistakes. If it wasn't for her beautiful work, this chapter would have sounded a lot worse. Thank you, Katherine! You are amazing!_

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><p><em><strong>Please, remember!<strong>_

_Chapter 2_

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_**Changes**_

Sasuke didn't say anything. He just kept his eyes on me, and I couldn't help but wonder what was going through his head at that moment.

I was merely conflicted with my own thoughts. All I saw was him standing there, looking at me. Nothing could possibly distract me enough to take my eyes away from him.

Once I realized that my staring was beyond rude, I swiftly looked down, feeling a bit self-conscious. I didn't dare move as I stared at my feet, wondering if I could do this. It had been years, but I couldn't forget him, that much was obvious to me.

When I lifted my head, this time my gaze fell on both of my teammates. I wasn't even paying attention to the other two as I kept my eyes glued to Sasuke and Naruto. I soaked in their appearances and for me it was as if time had stopped.

It seemed to me that they'd changed in more ways than I could ever think possible. They both appeared matured, grown in a way, almost as if the rough training did this to them. Seeing them now, after two whole years, I was sure that we were not the same little Genin from back then.

I glanced in Sasuke's direction for a brief moment, careful to not be caught staring admiringly. He was so handsome, even more than before. The realization filled me up with warmth that reached my cheeks and I sincerely hoped that no one noticed my blush. I wanted to say something, but I was at a loss as to what to say.

As I was struggling with my own words an orange blur invaded my vision.

"Sakura-chan!" I heard Naruto shout as he simultaneously lifted me up in the air.

I felt like the breath was sucked out of me with how tight his hug was. Despite that, I felt happy, because his action made me realize that this was real. My teammates were finally back and as those thoughts floated through my mind, I couldn't help but return the hug just as vigorously.

I giggled as he let my feet touch the ground and I finally got the chance to really look at him.

He looked so much like the Naruto I knew, but there was something that made him seem different. His clothes were different, too, but the familiar orange was just there. He appeared so grown up and definitely taller than before, but he still radiated the same positive energy. The grin on his face was as bright as I remembered it.

I also couldn't keep the smile from my face with how excited I was. "You're so tall, Naruto," I commented kindly.

"Really?" he asked dumbly, at which I reached out and affectionately ruffled his hair so I could show him what I meant. However, his next words made my smile falter.

"You didn't change one bit, Sakura-chan."

Of course, that was the only thing I didn't want to hear. I expected something else, something that would indicate that I changed, too. I didn't want to be left behind, while they both moved forward. I wanted to be walking beside them, be equal in strength with them.

"How can you say that, Naruto?" Jiraiya's booming voice reached my ears. He was standing a little ways behind Naruto and looked at us both with a huge smile on his face.

"Look at her... she's a beauty!"

That comment made me blush. This time, I was sure that they all noticed my flushed face, so I lowered my head in open embarrassment. I didn't dare look up while they both kept talking as if I wasn't there.

"Ero-sennin, Sakura-chan was always beautiful," I heard Naruto say, his voice slightly confused.

He was still as oblivious as before, I realized. But, I could never possibly find it in me to be angry at Naruto, because he will always be the same innocent fool I came to love as one of my closest friends.

"Yes, of course, but now she's gorgeous," agreed Jiraiya in his own way, his tone appreciative.

This was definitely not the first time that the old pervert spoke in such a way about me. He was always so forward with his own little comments, which was not something that I enjoyed. If someone asked me, I would rather he kept his mouth shut. I especially did not appreciate it when he did that in the presence of others, because it served as a definite embarrassment.

"I don't get it," Naruto suddenly spoke, surprising me.

As I lifted my head to look at him, I noticed that his face was scrunched up in deep confusion. The fact that he looked at me in a way that seemed like he was trying to see what was different about me, made me smile. Those little things that defined Naruto ― and were so typical for him ― made him look adorable sometimes.

"Dobe."

Since I was a bit distracted with my own thoughts, I barely heard the insult Sasuke reserved for Naruto. However, it did pull my attention toward him. His voice was deeper than I remembered and yet still so smooth.

He broke his gaze from Naruto and turned his eyes on me. He was steadily looking at me and that small fact made my heart flutter. I even felt encouraged to finally greet him properly.

"Welcome home, Sasuke-kun," I heard myself say.

I felt as if I was out of my own body, barely coherent of my own actions. I think that I was overcome with boldness at that moment, since I did the most unexpected thing that I could possibly think of.

I _hugged_ him. I actually hugged Sasuke, but not just that, I was pressed so tightly against him that I could not help but notice how changed he truly was. The body I held my arms around was definitely not the one I remembered.

I felt my heart leap inside my chest, as I stuttered, "I-I'm s-so ha-happy to finally s-see you."

The fabric of his dark blue shirt was so thin that I could practically feel the strong muscles of his back. My fingers shook as I slid them against the planes of his shoulders.

The moment his hot breath fanned my neck, I realized that I made a huge mistake by hugging him so abruptly. The thought of him so close to me chased me towards a hurricane of emotions. It was as if the love I felt for him just grew. Apparently, a spark was enough to ignite the fire in my heart.

As I stood there, tightly pressed against him, he did not dare move an inch. He was frozen still, I could feel it. I was absolutely mortified, so I swiftly took my hands away and moved back a few steps, my eyes focused on the ground. I wanted to give him some space, because I assumed that he did not like the hug, at all. Otherwise, why would he react so stiffly?

I hesitantly lifted my eyes to look at him and I was shocked by what I witnessed. There was a tinge of pink on his cheeks and at first I was so confused I thought that it was just my imagination. However, as I stared at his eyes they slid a bit lower and I realized that he was looking at me. Actually, he was looking at a very particular part of my body.

I could feel the heat slowly creeping up my cheeks. He actually stared at my... I couldn't even grasp that thought as real. I felt so utterly embarrassed that I hoped that the earth would swallow me entirely. His reaction made me realize that I didn't even consider the fact that we were both teenagers now. I'd acted as if he were still the same twelve year old boy that left two years ago. I don't think that I could have been more ignorant. This was definitely not how I imagined our reunion.

"I think that now would be a good time to stop staring," Itachi suddenly whispered, his words coming out through his teeth.

Sasuke jerked his head and looked anywhere but me. He composed himself instantly.

After I heard those words Itachi spoke to his brother, I wanted to just disappear from their sight. I mean, did he have to be so loud?

I shook my head in order to erase my foul thinking, because I was the one that made the mistake, not him. I guess I just overdid it with the hug. I shouldn't have pressed so tightly against him. I never thought that he would be so surprised by my... well, growth... that his aloof exterior would slip. I wouldn't even consider my breast size as anything other than humble, but apparently the change was enough for him to notice it.

"Sasuke, it's impolite to not greet your own teammate," Itachi spoke again, the tone of his voice so nonchalant that I instantly felt jealous. I wished I could've been in control of my own emotions the same as he was. It would have been so helpful and saved me a lot of discomfort.

Instead of waiting for Sasuke, he greeted first, "Hello, Sakura-san."

I was thankful for his attempt at chasing the awkward atmosphere away, so I greeted back, my voice unusually weak, "H-hello, Itachi-san. Welcome back." I think that the entire situation made me so completely nervous that I lost the strength of my own voice.

"Sakura," Sasuke uttered my name casually and nodded in greeting. I couldn't help but notice that he still kept his eyes directed to the side.

This was entirely my fault. Sasuke felt awkward because of my foolishness, so I vowed to myself that I would never hug him again.

"Now, can we please go?" Naruto suddenly asked, his voice taking me out of my trance-like state. "I have to eat!" he added and it sounded to me like he was complaining.

I turned to look at him as disbelief washed over me. I just shook my head, as I practically scolded him, "I can't believe that even after two years, all you think about is eating."

Figures. There is only one thing in the world that could possibly make him even more clueless than he normally is. His _stomach_.

Despite that, I was very thankful that he chose this particular moment to feel hungry enough to not notice what just transpired. If he started to tease Sasuke about it, I would've died of mortification.

"No, not just eating," specified Naruto. "I'm thinking about ramen. RAMEN!" He pronounced the word as if it was the most important thing in the world. I did not doubt that it was, at least for him.

I rolled my eyes and decided to just let it go. I was sure that he would have been persistent, because I already realized that no one would come close to succeeding in convincing him otherwise.

"Fine, let's go!" I said and Naruto's smile grew.

As he started walking toward Ichiraku's, he even rubbed his hands in delight, his excitement bringing a smile to my face. I turned my back on Sasuke and fell into step beside my other teammate.

"Teme, aren't you coming?" he hollered from beside me, while expectantly looking at Sasuke.

"Hn," I heard him grunt and my curiosity was piqued. I inclined my head to the side so that I was able to look at him. As I looked towards him, he shared a glance with his brother.

"I'll tell mother that you'll be home a bit later," Itachi said, to which he only received a nod. Then, he flashed out of sight.

As Sasuke took the few steps to walk beside us, I looked away. I didn't want to make things more awkward between us by looking at him.

At that point I realized that Jiraiya was gone too. That took me by surprise, especially since I did not even notice that he left.

"Where did Jiraiya-sama go?" I asked curiously.

I suppose that it should have been expected because he was a Sannin and it was easy for him to just disappear without any of us noticing.

"Probably off to do some research," Naruto grumbled under his breath, as he turned to glare at the spot Jiraiya previously stood. "Old pervert."

His reaction, but especially his words, made me smile. The relationship he had with Jiraiya was pretty funny. That thought made me wonder what an experience it must have been for Naruto to travel with him. I assumed that it must have been an eventful journey.

As we walked toward Ichiraku's I was tempted to turn and look at Sasuke on more than one occasion. My urge came from the fact that he was being stared at by every single girl that passed us. Their actions were borderline obsessive and I felt my blood boil at how desperately they tried to grasp his attention. Most of them even whispered and giggled like crazy.

Unable to take it anymore, after a bigger group of girls squealed and screeched his name almost to the point of making my ears bleed, I finally turned to look at him.

The first thing I noticed was that his posture was tense and his fists clenched. My eyes trailed up to his face and I saw that his jaw was clasped tightly. My guess was that he was trying to keep himself from lashing out. His demeanor made me feel sorry for him, because apparently he was also not pleased by their high-pitched squealing. Another thing that made me feel proud of myself was that I never used the same approach as those girls, even though I was madly in love with him.

Apparently, we were not the only ones that felt irritated by the commotion. Naruto, who I assumed was unable to take it anymore, finally shouted, "Okay! This is not possible!"

When both me and Sasuke turned to look at him, he continued, "You're back for less than an hour and your fangirls are already on alert!" He shot an accusing look at Sasuke and asked, "Can't you just glare at them and make them stop?"

Sasuke's teeth grinded at those words, and seeing how tightly pressed his lips were, I knew that he was pissed off. However, I was entirely surprised when he shouted at Naruto, "Don't you think I've tried that already?"

"Oh," the blond rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, and smiled nervously. "I guess you can't help it."

"Dobe," Sasuke grunted the usual insult towards him and turned his head, blatantly ignoring everything around him.

From that moment on, our walk toward Naruto's favorite restaurant was completed in silence. But, once inside, Naruto could not contain his excitement. He was fidgeting in his own seat ― which was in between me and Sasuke ― until his bowl of miso ramen was placed in front of him.

"This is amazing!" Naruto shouted. "I can finally eat my favorite ramen."

A huge smile was stretched on his face, while a bit of drool dripped out of the corner of his mouth. His cheeks were flushed, a clear indication that he was already out of it.

I laughed lightly, his antics amusing me. I leaned in by propping my elbows on the long counter and turned my head sideways so I would be able to fully look at him. I was kind of taken aback by his desperate slurping of the noodles.

"Seeing you act like this, someone would think that you didn't eat at all while away," I commented through an amused laugh.

Sasuke huffed lightly from the other side of Naruto. Apparently, he was highly amused as well, but definitely not surprised. I guess he always found Naruto's antics idiotic.

Naruto did not pay attention to Sasuke and did not even bother to retort back, so he turned toward me and asked with a small laugh, "Did you think that all that training wouldn't make me hungry?" Then, he kept eating his treasured meal.

"I think that you are always hungry, training or no training," I replied dryly, my lips stretching in a half-smile. "Speaking of which, how was the training?" I asked conversationally.

"Difficult... but really amazing!" he chirped excitedly, before slurping the rest of his noodles. As he lifted the empty bowl, he ordered a second round, continuing his energized chatter, "Ero-sennin taught me so much. I have so many new techniques to show you... like this technique the Fourth Hokage invented, which is super awesome. It's an A-rank jutsu called Rasengan!"

I rested my head in my open palm, my smile softening. "That's really nice, Naruto." I wondered what else he learned, but that jutsu sounded really amazing. He appeared to be very excited about it.

"So, how about you?" he suddenly asked, interrupting my thoughts, his intent gaze focused on me.

I felt slightly nervous to answer his question, especially since Sasuke's attention was now directed at me as well. I pushed a strand of hair behind my ear and started, "Oh, well..."I took a moment to gather my thoughts, while fretfully twisting my med-skirt. I pointedly kept my eyes away from them as I spoke, "I learned new medical jutsu from Tsunade-shishou, and my chakra control has improved. I think that my Chakra Enhanced Strength is on a higher level now."

When I looked at them, Naruto made a move to back off a bit with his eyes widened in fear. I glared at him fiercely, because I really did not like it when he thought of my strength as monstrous. He was clearly exaggerating, because it's not like I hit him on regular basis.

Then, in an instant, Naruto turned towards Sasuke. He was silent for a while, before spitting out, "Sasuke-teme, how was _your_ training?"

I also focused my gaze on Sasuke, mostly out of curiosity to hear his answer. But, to my utter disappointment ― and apparently Naruto's too ― he just grunted, "Hn."

To me, it seemed like he was simply disinterested.

"What in the world is wrong with you?" Naruto suddenly shouted, but he was once again ignored by Sasuke. That was enough to aggravate him further, so he lifted up from his chair in order to tower over Sasuke's figure. "I can totally kick your ass right now, so don't think that you can act like a bastard whenever you please."

"As if," Sasuke muttered nonchalantly, but I noticed the forming of a slight glare in his eyes. He might have avoided looking at Naruto, but his words definitely affected him, that much was obvious.

Naruto was not pleased with the response he received, so he practically yelled, "Teme!"

His tone indicated that he was not just trying to insult Sasuke, but to actually dare him to respond back.

I was sure that Sasuke was about to give into Naruto's challenge, but he was interrupted by the sudden appearance of our sensei.

"Yo," he casually greeted from behind, in his usual lazy tone.

I released a breath I didn't know I was holding. I couldn't be more thankful for his knack for always emerging out of nowhere and preventing a fight between my teammates.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto exclaimed loudly, his volume making me feel like my eardrums were going to burst. He was way too excited about nearly everything ― so much that he even forgot about his almost-fight with Sasuke.

As I slowly turned to look at our sensei, I noticed a foreign look in his one visible eye. It held too much softness to be normal for his character ― he always appeared so disinterested and lazy in situations such as these.

"My three students in one place," he spoke with unsuppressed emotion. His eye travelled slowly over our forms, after which his shoulders visibly slouched. He sighed, "Ah, the time drifts away so rapidly."

I barely suppressed my laughter at his musings. I was sure that he came specifically to greet his students after not having laid eyes on them for two whole years.

Naruto startled me out of my drifting thoughts as he leaned in toward me and whispered behind his hand, "What in the world is he talking about?"

Apparently, I was not the only one surprised by Kakashi's strange behavior ― no matter how different Naruto's reason was. But, his question amused me, because it was typical for him to be clueless almost about everything.

"He's just nostalgic, that's all," I explained, the smile never leaving my face.

"Huh?" he asked, his face scrunched up in confusion.

"Never mind," I said, waving my hand in dismissal.

Naruto would have kept staring at me with that questioning look if not for Kakashi's question, "How was the training?"

The hyperactive boy that stood right next to me instantly replied with much enthusiasm, "It was amazing, Kakashi-sensei!"After a short pause, he shot a fierce glare at Sasuke and muttered under his breath, "At least, for some of us."

He was still sulking due to Sasuke's earlier evasion of the training topic. My guess was that he took it as a personal insult to his ego. In his eyes it must have seemed like Sasuke was hiding his strength from him, and I was sure that Naruto was just dying out of curiosity to see how strong Sasuke had become over the years. Their rivalry was the driving force of their strength, and above all else their friendship. It was so unusual, but truly inspiring.

Kakashi's eye crinkled in amusement ― or maybe it was happiness ― and I knew that he was smiling behind his mask. I certainly could understand his feelings. After all, this whole thing was so wonderful; having the whole team together at one place.

"Then, you wouldn't mind a sparring session tomorrow morning," he suggested so abruptly it surprised us all.

With that simple ― yet meaningful― statement he had our full attention. The satisfied look in his eye was a sign that he was pleased with our reaction. Apparently, we were not the only ones that were looking forward to a spar.

"Do you really mean it, sensei?" Naruto asked in disbelief, but once he saw Kakashi nod he practically jumped in the air. "Awesome! I'm so kicking the bastard's ass."

After my previous reflections, his words didn't surprise me. I should have known that this spar would come almost as ordered for both my teammates. Now, even I was excited to see them fight.

"Dream on, dead last," Sasuke drawled, though his posture exuded self-assurance. He was just as self-absorbed and sure of himself as before. At least, that was one thing I was sure would always define the real him.

"You'll eat your own words, Sasuke-_chan_," Naruto bit back scornfully.

Sasuke turned to viciously glare at him and I couldn't help but smile.

I shouldn't have forgotten that their rivalry had its bright side. It was way too amusing to sometimes watch them bawl at each other like there was no tomorrow. Their constant bickering made me glad that at least that hadn't changed, because without it my teammates would've never been the same.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Once we finished our meal at Ichiraku's ― more like we waited for Naruto to finish his seventh bowl ― we were finally ready to part ways. However, as we stepped out of the small eating place, it became apparent to me that I was not the only one that anxiously waited for their return.

Konohamaru, the Hokage's grandson ― who was like a second Naruto ― was just outside, waiting. My guess was that he was here to see Naruto.

"Onii-chan, are you ready?" he shouted, at the same time focusing his determined gaze on Naruto.

"Damn right I'm ready! Let's see what you've got," Naruto shouted back, his eyes glinting with challenge.

The boy took his stance and formed the hand sings for a Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. At first I was surprised and curious as to what was happening. I was intrigued by the way they communicated with each other. It was unlike anything I've ever seen, almost as if they could read each other's minds. However, I blamed it all on the fact that they shared a brain when it came to acting like idiots.

But, I was certainly not prepared for what happened next. Once Konohamaru started forming seals for the Henge no Jutsu there was a loud _poof_ and instead of Konohamaru we were all looking at two naked girls pressed against each other. I just knew that my mouth was hanging open in shock as I stared with disgust at the dreadful scene. I should have known better than to be excited about anything in relation to these two idiots.

Apparently, Sasuke agreed with me, which I realized once he spoke with an obviously annoyed tone, "Idiots."

But, Naruto was so engrossed in his game play that he did not even register Sasuke's comment. Instead, he started to make some hand seals of his own, which was definitely not a good sign.

That is why I clenched my fist tightly and hit him over the head, before he would do anything stupid.

"How dare you encourage him like this?" I shouted right in his ear as he squirmed away from me. "He's just a kid, Naruto."

Even after I noticed his pained expression, I did not regret it one bit. I was really pissed off by his behavior, but the fact that he even started teaching little Konohamaru on how to make that nasty jutsu was unforgivable.

"Don't you dare show that jutsu while in my presence, ever again!" I threatened, this time as a final warning.

"She sure is scary, onii-chan," I heard Konohamaru comment from the sidelines.

As I turned my attention on him, I saw drops of perspiration on his forehead. "This is exactly why I hate girls," he grumbled lowly.

I narrowed my eyes at him, thinking that he would bite his own words as soon as the hormones hit him.

My thoughts were interrupted by Sasuke's insult, "Naruto... you are such an idiot!"

"And, what makes _you_ any different?" Naruto chided. It did not take him much time to burst out a threat, "I promise you... I will find your weak spot one day!"

Sasuke just smirked and grunted amusedly, "Hn." The look he shot Naruto was mocking to say the least.

Naruto's response was a furious glare. "You better believe it! You can't be an ice cube forever. You have to show some male urges eventually," he barked with assurance, before smiling mischievously.

"Dobe, you better not be saying what I think you're saying," he gritted through his teeth, emitting a menacing growl, but Naruto did not back down. If anything, it was as if Sasuke just challenged him to continue.

"Oh, so what if I am? What are you going to do about it?" asked Naruto, his voice positively contemptuous.

"I'm going to kick your ass!" Sasuke growled, his jaws tightly pressed.

"You don't have the balls for that, Sasuke-_chan_!" Naruto mocked further, his smile widening.

"Speak for yourself, dobe!" Sasuke responded, as he crossed his hands over his chest in mock enjoyment.

Naruto huffed as he spoke with a sarcastic tone, "Yeah, right! You are not even turned on by my Oiroke no Jutsu, so I definitely don't expect for you to show any balls in a fight against me."

"How can I be turned on by a female version of you? If anything, it's disgusting!" Sasuke defended.

His appeared disgusted as he eyed Naruto, so I was pretty sure that he was telling the truth.

"Oh, I'll find out what's your type eventually, and you better prepare yourself for a massive nosebleed," Naruto promised, as he pointedly looked at Sasuke. After a short pause, he glared suspiciously at him. "Unless, you're gay!"

Sasuke was evidently horror struck. His eyes were wide, his lips pressed tightly together. He glanced at me for a fleeting second, before once again focusing his deadly glare at Naruto. "I'm not gay!" he roared with finality.

By the look on Naruto's face, I realized that Sasuke managed to convince him with that simple but definitive statement. When Naruto responded with complete silence, obviously left with no words in his mouth, Sasuke smirked in triumph.

"Tch, usaratonkachi," he finished with much self-satisfaction.

Yet, I noticed that Naruto still held the determined look in his blue eyes. My best guess was that he did not plan to back down from his promise.

Despite everything that just transpired between the two, I smiled to myself. I felt a sudden thrill wash over me, because their usual rivalry just shined through and it reminded me of the spar Kakashi-sensei promised.

I couldn't be more excited.

TO BE CONTINUED...

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><p><strong>AN: **Thank you for reading! :) I hope you liked this chapter. Please, leave me a review. It would mean a lot to me if you share your thoughts with me. :P

I published the first chapter of this story during the first _SasuSaku Month_ and that's why I encourage you to try and participate at this year's event dedicated to our favorite couple. The event has already started and all the prompts are published, so all you need to do is write. ;) You will find a copy/paste link on my profile page! :)


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